Kinship: The Art of Connection

A paradigm shift is occurring and we are witnessing the continuing growth of art-making characterized by expanded connections and consciousness. Stereotypes of the artist genius (usually white male) enacting statements of ego, are being supplanted by art that is radically open to relational connections in many forms; kinship. We have spotlighted only a few of the remarkable artists working in this expansive field. 

The artists we have invited to publish in this issue are vitally engaged with communities, traditions, ecosystems, spiritual and cross-cultural influences. They are women working within and responding to a complex world. Their work is expressive of the challenges of this time and place in history, with climate change, war and economic and cultural issues at the forefront.

And yet, there is energy, emotional range, exuberance and beauty in the work included here. Some are projects done on a massive scale with many participants, others are individual expressions of loss, spiritual connection, displacement, or migration. But all are deeply responsive to the world in which they live.

We have included a range of images for each artist, and most of the text is in the artists’ voice. Their practices embody generosity and commitment, and it has been a joy to learn more about their work. We are grateful for their gifts to us all, which expand our sense of the possible.
~Donna Brookman

 

Feminist artists and art historians have long recognized the frequency and value of artists working collaboratively to create artwork and communal opportunities. Kin-driven alliances support and encourage artists’ intersectional identities encompassing differing cultural backgrounds, generations, and gender identities.  Collaborative projects involving many participants such as quilting circles, or the Crochet Coral Reef Project (Margaret and Christine Wertheim), are based on a deeply feminist concept – – the many uniting to bring forward a desired outcome.

Familial and cultural kinship is addressed by several artists in this magazine issue in very different ways. One as a painful recollection; the other a source for materials and a framework for cultural representation (Nazanin Noroozi, Rina Banerjee).  Additionally, kinship is also expressed as a solitary union between the artist and her natural environment, offered as a path towards healing the self and the world (Chiyomi Taneike Longo, Cecilia Vicuña). 

Women artists also form institutional kinships by establishing exhibition spaces and networks that provide opportunities for feminist art to be seen and artists’ bonds to form. The number of these organizations has grown over the last 50 years, beginning  with Woman House, A.I.R., Black Women Artists, Inc., Women’s Caucus for Art, to name only a few, continuing with The Feminist Art Project, Women & Their Work, Women Made Gallery, and many more. Established in 1996, Women Eco Artists Dialog (WEAD), the publisher of this magazine, has been at the forefront of promoting and educating the public about women eco-artists, in addition to providing a platform for artist networking.

It has been my great pleasure to work with these six artists and my co-editor Donna Brookman to bring Kinship: The Art of Connection to you.  Special gratitude goes to Susan Leibovitz Steinman for inviting me to be the guest editor of issue #14. 
~Connie Tell